COVID-19 From the trenches II

The news clips along, and with it, our fears.  

I continue to see stupid articles about the virus on the web.  One source discussed how the 6 foot rule was not accurate, because coughing or sneezing spread the virus farther than six feet.

Duh.  Have you ever seen one of those slo-mo clips of a sneeze?  Yeah.  It's disgusting, and I'm not going to link one here.  You have mad web skillz, I am sure you will find one of either coughing or sneezing.  No one promised that 6 feet was enough to protect from forced expulsion of aerosolized particles via sneeze or cough.  For that matter, there is minimal data (if any, really) that suggest that all droplets will drop to the ground within six feet of the breather.  At the same time that the media is suggesting greater than six feet (why yes, that is a good idea), we still have social undistancers walking around supermarkets and public parks.  I'll stop there, because Mr. Etherknitter tells me I am being too scoldy.  (Cynical perhaps, but no, I am not scolding. Just trying to put 'facts' in some kind of more accurate and thoughtful perspective.)

Someone linked a yoga video search on Amazon, all free: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=yoga&i=instant-video&language=en_US&crid=3BD6XPZJNQOH8&linkCode=ll2&linkId=3e419293e08bc4819db313050c63364e&sprefix=yoga%2Cinstant-video%2C220&tag=airfarewatchdog-20&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_4

How can you not love this?  Moving meditation, flexibility, and affordability all in one link.  You can also find yoga classes on Youtube.  I need to try them out before I provide links.

Another probably premature news factoid was about losing one's sense of smell as a COVID-19 symptom.  This Slate article (not necessarily an authoritative source by an stretch, but the author did the due diligence of tracing back the spotty research that was supposed to have substantiated this).  Many viruses cause transient loss of smell.  Some actually cause permanent loss of smell.  The cardinal symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc. are better signals in the noise of trying to figure out if you've got it.  

Edited to add a link to the Slate article: https://slate.com/technology/2020/03/coronavirus-sense-of-smell-nytimes-fact-check.html

Then there was this.  Laughed endlessly.

 

And have you seen the Youtube video of the Les Mis adaptation by a family of five in Britain?  Keep your eye on the boy with the yellow/black striped jersey.  He has a future.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcO8UhxMixw

And then, of course, there is this mostly reasonable article about masks.  My hospital does not consider the masks adequate for use in clinical contact with COVID-positive patients.  I agree 150%.  But protecting yourself in public makes sense.  And this is a way to do it. 

://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/03/28/masks-all-coronavirus/?utm_campaign=wp_to_your_health&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_tyh&wpmk=1 

Just remember that it does not take the place of social distancing, or the six+ feet rule of contact with other humans.

The peak of the Massachusetts surge is predicted to be ~April 15.  It will last for 2-3 weeks based on what I have been told.

Each year, we need a new influenza vaccine before flu season hits.  The reason for that is because the flu virus is very clever, and mutates rapidly.  That is also why statistics show that the vaccine for flu developed each year is not 100% effective by the time flu hits the Northern Hemisphere.  (The vaccine is developed each year based on the strains circulating in the Southern Hemisphere.  The time period between development and Northern Hemisphere injections gives the bugger time to mutate.  That is probably an oversimplification, but the logic holds.)

That is also  one of the reasons why virologists have theorized that we need a vaccine for coronavirus:  continual mutation.  What I have heard in the medical grapevine is that the virus, so far, has not shown substantial mutation (fact sources not checked by me).  Past performance is no guarantee....right.  So we need a vaccine to protect those who have avoided infection, and one that will serve in case the virus pulls the mutation card out of its hat.  I leave you with a ray of hope:  https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/covid-19-vaccine-frontrunners-67382   And no, I would not think a vaccine carried by a monkey adenovirus is a good idea (one of the choices).  We got this one from either pangolins or bats.  HIV came from a non-human primate vector.  I am not interested in monkey adenovirus used as a vector for a vaccine. 

Stay well.  Stay distanced.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The views expressed on this post are my own and do not reflect the views of my employer.

Comments

[Marcia]

I have a solution to the social undistancers, like the ones I have encountered on my walks around the neighborhood. In the words of Teddy R, carry a big stick. I do t go out now without a sturdy walking stick that Terry bought in Yellowstone NP. When needed, it can be held as a lance for oncoming undistancers, or out to the side to maintain the distance. Also helps going up hills!

[Carole]

I lose my sense of smell every time I get a bad cold, I don't for a second think that means I've had COVID-19. I did make masks for Dale and I. I particularly like the concept of my mask protects you, your mask protects me. Hang in there, my friend, you're in my thoughts constantly.

[Elaine in NYC]

Love the idea of a lance for those idiots who won’t keep their distance. I learned about droplet infection in high school biology, about 58 years ago, fercryinoutloud! Why is this so hard for people to comprehend? (End of rant.)

[Caroline Morris]

The first in the yoga search was "yoga for the inflexible". How does it know?

[Margene]

Thank you for keeping us updated with the realities of this situation. You and Mr E are constantly in our thoughts and in our conversation. And, you're deep in our hearts. xo

[kmkat]

Our older son is a family practice doc with the IHS on the Zuni reservation in New Mexico. They have had two deaths, both people who were on dialysis, but there will inevitably be more. The Zuni tend to live together with their extended family; many people in the same house increases risk of infection. Son called a couple weekends ago to get his younger brother's social security number; he was updating the beneficiaries on his retirement accounts. Hope for the best but plan for the worst